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Judge sets November date as some of the thousands of lawsuits alleging blood-clotting problems continue to be resolved. Resource4thePeople announces continuance of free consultations for consumers seeking compensation over blood-clotting allegations

Resource4thePeople announced today its latest update for consumers who have been following the litigation in state and federal courts alleging that popular birth control pills Yaz and Yasmin may cause serious blood-clotting problems.

An important hearing has been scheduled by the judge who is overseeing thousands of federal Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits* in which women from across the country are alleging that the contraceptives have caused life-threatening blood-clotting issues.

Judge David R. Herndon in the U.S. District Court in the Southern District of Illinois recently posted on the court docket a notice of a Nov. 14, 2013 status hearing at which attorneys for the plaintiffs and those representing the drugs' manufacturer, Bayer Pharmaceuticals will brief him on the progress of the litigation.

"It will be interesting for consumers to learn about how this litigation has been progressing because the judge was told at a hearing last month that venous clot cases were being resolved," said Resource4thePeople.

"We encourage the resolution of cases and as this litigation progresses we will continue our policy of providing complimentary consultations for women who may have been affected by these allegations and suffered health issues for which they may be seeking compensation.

At that hearing an attorney for the defendants told the judge that venous clot cases were continuing to be resolved and the number of cases now being overseen by Judge Herndon has decreased in the latest reporting period.

There were 9,838 Yaz and Yasmin cases before Herndon as of Sept. 13, 2013, according to the latest figures** provided by the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation.

"Bayer reported in its annual financial report earlier this year that it had already agreed to pay over $1.4 billion to settle blood-clotting allegations including pulmonary embolisms or deep vein thrombosis so it would appear this figure would go even higher given recent developments," said Resource4thePeople.

Bayer Pharmaceuticals confirmed in its Feb. 28, 2013 annual report*** that many of these cases are in the process of being settled.

"As of February 12, 2013, Bayer had reached agreements, without admission of liability, to settle the claims of approximately 4,800 claims," according to the Bayer annual report.

Bayer also has agreed to pay up to $24 million to settle other lawsuits in the multidistrict litigation involving allegations over gall bladder side effects, according to the court file in the litigation before Judge Herndon, according to the court file.

These settlements are a different component of this consolidated litigation in Illinois in which plaintiffs claimed that they suffered gall bladder injuries because they used Yaz and Yasmin as contraceptives.

Meanwhile, as a Sept. 15, 2013 article**** in the Chicago Tribune points out, federal officials are being asked to escalate warnings about possible blood-clotting problems associated with the contraceptives and at least one consumer non-profit organization has called for the products to be pulled from the marketplace.

“The concerns raised by women’s and consumer groups center focus on the same allegations made in the Yaz and Yasmin lawsuits --- that the use of these birth control pills may pose life-threatening side effects to the women who use them,” said Resource4thePeople.

The Chicago Tribune article questioned the effectiveness and safety of Yaz and Yasmin contraceptives and cited increased concern about the products from women’s groups:

“Some women's health advocates want a stronger, black-box warning that is more likely to be noticed,” the Tribune reported. “The advocacy group Public Citizen, meanwhile, has placed drugs containing drospirenone — including Yaz, Yasmin, Gianvi and Zarah — on its ‘do not use’ list because they ‘can cause increased blood levels of potassium and (are) no more effective than other oral contraceptives in preventing pregnancy.’ On the Internet, people who call themselves ‘Yaz survivors’ post accounts of their experiences."

In a related matter, the Canadian Broadcasting Company reported that physicians there are linking Yaz and Yasmin to deaths. In a June 12, 2013 posting***** The CBC said that "According to documents obtained from Health Canada, doctors and pharmacists say Yaz and Yasmin are suspected in the deaths of the women, who mostly died suddenly from blood clots."

Health Canada is the Canadian equivalent to the FDA, which, on April 10, 2012, issued a Health Warning informing consumers and physicians about possible Yaz and Yasmin blood clotting side effects.******

The CBC also reported that "According to the documents obtained from Health Canada, between 2007 and February 2013, doctors and pharmacists have reported 600 adverse reactions and 23 deaths where Yaz or Yasmin were suspected. More than half of the reported deaths were women under 26, with the youngest age 14."

The April 10, 2012 Food and Drug Administration warning about Yaz and Yasmin blood-clotting side effects based on a staff review mirrored these allegations:

“Based on this review, FDA has concluded that drospirenone-containing birth control pills may be associated with a higher risk for blood clots than other progestin-containing pills.”